


we keep behind closed doors

by RSmoak



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Comfort/Angst, F/M, Riverdale (TV) season 5, Speculation, riverdale spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:54:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29857011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RSmoak/pseuds/RSmoak
Summary: Speculation for 5x08 based on the pic of Archie in the fireman outfit.
Relationships: Archie Andrews & Betty Cooper, Archie Andrews/Betty Cooper
Comments: 10
Kudos: 92





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The only way I want this scene to be sexual is to start as a silly moment and then turn sexy. The angst just slid in there because I can't write smut. It's easier for me to understand Archie's POV because he's less reserved and careful when it comes to his feelings. I think it's harder to guess what Betty is thinking if they don't let her voice her feelings. She has her guards up, now even more so than in 4x18. That's why I'm planning to do a part 2, the follow up conversation with Kevin, but nothing is written yet.
> 
> Let me know your thoughts on this chapter! Also feel free to discuss spoilers if you want. I keep up.

‘It was never supposed to last this long’ Archie tells himself. He didn’t think Betty would still be in Riverdale two months after their little fun in the shower. But then he needed her, wanted her, to help him save their hometown. Polly is still missing and one month turned to two. Time was part of the reason why he agreed to become friends with benefits. No strings attached they said, because there wouldn’t be time to turn it into something more. Time, as Archie came to realize, wasn’t the problem.

In fact, his past feelings came rushing back the moment he saw her in her denim overalls. He flashbacked to the summer she spent in his garage fixing up the jalopy with Fred supervising. They were still so innocent back then, even if they had experienced more pain than your regular teenager. But despite all the craziness, he knew he could always count on Betty. That reassurance was even more comforting when he lost his father. Archie Andrews became an expert at hiding his feelings for the person he once called his best friend.

He was standing in the middle of her room, wearing the most outrageous outfit you could think of, feeling completely exposed. Yet, her laugh still filled him with as much joy and comfort as it did seven years ago. He didn’t hear her laugh anymore. During the rare occasions it slipped out, it vanished as quickly as it appeared and was replaced by a guilty look on her face. How could she be happy if her sister was scared and alone and hurt? The search party they organized was unsuccessful. Betty tried to keep her composure in front of her mom but behind close doors, it was another story. She tried to invite him over the same night but Archie knew sex had to be off the table. He still came and ended up holding her all night, until her cries turned to sobs and quieted into harsh breaths. She eventually settled down but he woke up alone in her bed with a note on the pillow they didn't share. It said she had to make "work calls" and that breakfast was on the counter. It was a sunday morning and he knew those calls could wait. It was the first and only night she let herself be vulnerable since they started their affair and she couldn’t face him. That morning, Alice was busy calling the nearby hospitals for any sign of Polly. He left without anyone seeing him. 

‘It’s not that bad’ Betty stifled a laugh. ‘I promise, you actually look very…’ Her smile instantly morphs into a smirk. All twinkly eyed and shy and hesitant, she stops herself from finishing her sentence.

‘Very?’ Archie knows that expression well by now.

‘Sexy. You know how you look Archie, you don’t need me to tell you that.’ She drops the phone in her hand for a second to stare at his chiseled abs. Unapologetically. She’s done way more than look anyway.

‘Sexy, huh?’ Archie struts towards her, as gracefully as he can without the hard cap sliding off his head. She takes a small step back and almost hits the wooden desk.

‘Stop it.’ She whispers. ‘You can’t look at me like that right now. We have to get this done and take the pictures before Cheryl’s party. You know the fundraiser committee needs them printed by monday morning.’ Archie halts his pace and slightly rolls his eyes.

‘Remind me again why we’re going to Cheryl’s party? The no-question-asked part of her invitation makes me nervous. It all feels very high school.’ Betty leans against her desk, her hand grabbing the edge for support.

‘Because she said it was important to her and I feel guilty enough to not have kept contact all these years.’ She sighs. ‘I couldn’t say no. I only spoke to her but she sounded like she needs some friends in her corner right now.’

‘Yeah, Toni caught me up. Also, I may have crossed the line when I went to see her for funding.’ Archie winces as he mutters the last bit of his sentence. ‘I need to make up for it.’

‘See? I don’t really need to convince you. You know it’s the right move. It might even be fun.’

‘Okay…’ Archie lifts his index finger and points at her. ‘But if this night turns weird, I’m going to blame you.’

‘Oh really?’ She catches her lower lip between her teeth. ’What will you do to punish me?’ Archie raises an eyebrow, a surprised yet amused look appears on his face.

‘Miss Cooper, this conversation won’t help you get my pictures done quicker.’

‘Mhm, maybe not but I like making you nervous. It’s another great look on you. Perhaps even better than YMCA stripper slash adult performer straight out of a bad 80s porn’. She barely has time to finish her words before Archie launches towards her, grabs her by the waist and starts a full on tickle attack. They accidentally fall on her bed because she’s laughing too hard to stay upright, and partly because she tries to get away from him. He doesn’t let her though. She knows he has her trapped and he promised himself he’d never do anything to stop her from laughing. He takes pity on her when he notices a tear at the corner of her left eye. They end up face to face, lying on her bed, his hat already off to the side. Their faces are close. So close they can feel each other’s breaths. Their eyes meet and time stops. Gone is the carefree atmosphere that filled the room a few seconds ago. To remedy that, Betty is the first to break their staring context. Her hands reach upward behind him but Archie is still too entranced to notice what she’s doing. It’s not until she brings his fireman hat closer to her head and wears it that he lets himself be disappointed.

He knows she’s doing her best not to be acknowledge what’s between them. He understands that she sees the night where she fell asleep in his arms as a moment of weakness during a very emotional time. It’s what she did 7 years ago. And yet it didn’t change anything in the end. Their one kiss destroyed their respective relationships and hurt people they loved, no matter how hard she tried to pretend nothing happened. To be fair, they both did. Archie tried to tell her how he feels in a song but he barely understood those feelings himself. He asked her to take a risk she wasn’t ready to take. He’s brought back to the present when she gently pokes his side. He stares at her and he thinks she looks to adorable not to kiss. The messy hair, flushed cheeks and an oversized cap on her head are a deadly combination. She dares flicking her tongue at him and he can’t stand it anymore. He leans forward until their lips meet. The kiss starts sweet and gentle but it quickly becomes more intense, as all of their kisses do. She takes charge and he finds himself on his back again. It’s a dance they perfected. She straddles him and his hands go behind her back. As they start to move lower, they’re both startled by the sound of her door opening.

‘Hey Betty, your mom told me you were- oh. my god.’ They both look up and find a shocked Kevin standing in her doorstep with his mouth wide open.

Betty is off Archie’s lap in a second. Archie stands upright so violently, he feels a little whiplash. Things are still blurry until he sees Betty approach Kevin’s side.

‘I’m so sorry, I didn’t know I was interrupting _this_.’ Betty shoots a stern look towards Kevin, clearly not happy with this turn of events.

‘Kevin, good to see you.’ Archie raises his hand in Kevin’s direction to say hi but he feels too exposed and awkward to look at him.

‘You too Archibald. Looking good!’ There’s a whimsical quality to his voice, like he’s enjoying the scene a little too much. Sensing Archie feels uneasy, Betty intervenes.

‘Okay! how about you wait for me in the kitchen? I’ll be down in a second.' With a smile that’s more threatening than friendly, Betty shoves her friend by the arm towards the exit but he stands his ground.

‘Sure, take your time.’ A beat and then. 'There’s no fire.’ He laughs at his own joke way too hard. Archie bites his lips. Not really in shame. He’s more amused at his own predicament. However, Betty’s reaction is more serious.

‘Very funny. Downstairs. Now?!’ Kevin gets the message and starts heading down as he says ‘Archie, see you at the party.'

‘Yup.’ Archie finally looks up from his lap and he finds Betty moving closer to the edge of the bed where he was still sitting.

‘Sorry. I didn’t think he was going to meet me here.’

‘Hey, it’s okay. We weren’t exactly being discreet this time.’ He smiles.

‘Right but this wasn’t supposed to be one of our… meetings.’ The word takes Archie by surprise. It sounded way too formal, way too casual to describe what they shared and felt whenever he had her in his arms. The sex was great. More than great. It was overwhelming in all the best ways. Somehow, he felt more comfortable with her than he did with anyone. He wondered if it was because they were friends for so long, or because they were always more than just friends. Maybe he reached a point where he was tired of half measures when it comes to Betty Cooper.

‘Betty, I think we need to-‘

‘I have to go before Kevin comes barging in again but I promise we’ll find a way to take those pictures before the deadline.’ He knows what she’s doing. She’s avoiding. They both know. ‘Right now, I just need to-‘

‘Go.' Archie interrupts. 'Yeah, I know. I’ll see you later.’ He smiles again, this time in defeat.

‘Okay’. She doesn’t kiss him goodbye like she usually does. Just friends, she said. Instead, she grabs her phone and rushes out of the room, leaving Archie wondering when they’ll be able to have the conversation that would either change things for the better or break them apart for good.

He prayed it was the first one.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> < SPOILERS FOR 5x08 > By the looks of it, we’re getting a scene between Betty and Kevin after the key party. They’re gonna get hammered because they’re jealous over Archie and Fangs. 
> 
> I don’t know if Betty will say anything about her and Archie on the show but lucky for me, Kevin did find out in my story. Enjoy! This is mostly dialogue because I can’t write for sh*t and the idea couldn’t leave my brain.

When Betty reaches the bottom of the stairs, she hears the faint whistle of the kettle. Her mother and Kevin sit in silence by the counter.

‘Mom, Kev and I need to run a few errands but I’ll be back in an hour. Do you need anything?’ Alice notices her daughter and stands up.

‘No, honey. I think I’m just gonna lay down for a while.’

‘Yeah, it’s a good idea. It will be good for you.’ Betty says as she squeezes her mother’s arm as she passes by and laves the kitchen.

‘Has she been sleeping at all?’

‘I don’t think so.’ Betty says. In fact, she knows that her mother hasn’t slept a wink in a while. She usually wakes around 2 am. Every night, she sees light coming through the closed door frame of mother’s room. The first week, she brought Alice a warm a cup of milk or tea, depending on her mood. Every morning, the glass was still full. Betty thought about sleeping next to her but that idea died when she remembered her night terrors. It didn’t seem fair to add to the worry. Betty ended up calling a doctor who prescribed Alice something much stronger than a warm beverage. But she also knows neither of them will be well rested until they find Polly, safe and sound. Betty’s head tilts towards the door.

‘Let’s go.’ When the two friends reach her car, Betty digs for the keys in her bag.

‘So we’re not going to talk about what I just walked on?’ Kevin says.

‘Well, I’ll be stuck in a car with you for a while so do I have a choice?’ Betty looks up and finds her friend’s left eyebrow up to his forehead. He gasps and then purses his lips to stop himself from saying whatever he was about to say. ‘Yeah, I thought so’. Once they’re both settled in, Betty puts on her seat belt.

‘How sure are we about this lead, Betty? I don’t mean to sound insensitive but if we’re walking into something dangerous, I just need to know first. I would be a hypocrite if I did this right after I lectured Fangs on unnecessary risks.’

‘I can’t promise anything. So if you want to leave, I can do this alone, Kev.’ She reassures him with a smile. There’s not an ounce of anger in her voice, just genuine understanding. Betty knows that in her line of work, there are no guarantees. Always have your partner’s back and do your best not to get killed. Kevin takes a few seconds to think.

‘Start the car.’ He reaches for his own seat belt. They drive through the empty streets of her old neighborhood. The sound of sirens and car alarms is muffled by her windows but it’s a stark reminder of the damage Hiram Lodge has done while she was away. Neither of them reach for the radio, content to sit in silence and take in the hollow appearance of their hometown. At least, that’s what Betty thought they were doing. 

‘Firefighter fantasy isn’t something I thought you’d be into.’ Kevin barely has time to finish his sentence before a chuckle escaped from his lips.

‘Wow, two minutes. I’m impressed.’

‘I’m dying here.’ Betty rolls her eyes at that.

‘Ok. Ask away.’

‘When did it start?’

‘The day after we took his house back from the ghoulies.’

‘You kids didn’t waste any time. Are you-?’

‘Friends. We’re two single friends having fun.’

‘Wait, you’re not saying you’re… friends with benefits? Ok, Betty, I love you but it’s a terrible idea. This is Archie, remember? The guy you’ve been in love with since you were in fifth grade. You two have history. You jumped his bones the moment he came back to town. Who can blame you though? I mean did you see him in his sergeant uniform?‘

‘The point is we’re not in high school anymore. We’re adults and we can handle this. And what makes you think it wasn’t his idea?’ Kevin doesn’t need to say a thing before she adds ’You know what, it doesn’t matter. We’re not doing anything wrong this time so I don’t need the lecture.’

‘I’m not lecturing you, Betty. I’m your friend. Wait- what do you mean this time?’

‘Hmm?’

‘You said you weren’t doing anything wrong this time?’

‘Remind me to install a lock on my door.’ Betty mutters under her breath. ‘I never told you the real reason me and Jughead broke up.’

‘I’m guessing it’s the same reason Archie and Veronica broke up.’

‘You guessed right.’

‘Why did you never tell me?’

‘I didn’t want you to judge me, Kevin. You’re one of my best friends. And I couldn’t bare seeing the look you have on your face right now. I barely pulled the strength to tell Jughead. I needed a fresh start. We all did.’

‘This is a lot of information to process. But it makes sense. I thought you and Jughead could survive whatever’s thrown at you but the only force strong enough to make you act before you think is named Archie Andrews.’

‘I don’t know how to take that.’

‘It means you have feelings for him, Betty. You can pretend you don’t with everybody else but you can’t fool me. Just because I was bawling my eyes out during Veronica’s performance, don’t think I haven’t noticed the way you and him looked at each other. This situation you put yourself in… it will bite you both in the ass.’ Betty fidgets in her seat. She’s not completely oblivious. When they were in her room, she figured Archie started to rethink their arrangement.

‘Look, I understand you’re dealing with a lot.’ Kevin adds. ‘Between Polly and your job and god knows what else happened to you with the FBI. You put these walls up around you to survive. It might protect you on the field but don’t bring that home with you.’

‘I date, okay? I may not be in a relationship right now but I dated.’

‘And how did those relationships work out?’

‘That’s rude…’ Neither one of them say anything for a while. Kevin takes out his phone and she can hear him typing a quick text before putting it back in his jeans. She takes a deep breath and then-

‘I’m scared.’ There it is. Kevin smiles and lets her sit a while with her realization. She briefly glances at her friend but decides to keep her eyes on the road. ‘Archie is the only good thing in my life right now. When I’m with him, it’s like the noise around me stops and I can breathe again. I know it’s selfish.’ She nods to herself. ‘But I’m terrified to lose that feeling, even if I don’t really have him.’

‘What if you could? Have him, I mean. Don’t you think it means something that, even after nearly a decade apart, you two are still drawn to each other? Not everyone has the chance to have a connection like you guys have.’

‘What if he doesn’t…’

‘Then you can move on. It might sting, it might hurt like hell, but it’s better than letting your fear stop you from experiencing something that could be amazing. Although you should remember, whatever you did in high school that exploded your relationship, Archie did it with you.’

‘I’m glad you’re here, Kev.’ Betty’s shoulders seem a little less heavier now. She shoots a smile at her friend and he smiles in return.

‘Yeah, I’m pretty great.’

‘You are. And I don’t just mean with the personal advice. Helping with Polly’s investigation, being there for my mom… It means everything. Thank you.’

‘You can thank me by answering one question’. She waits but the question that never comes. She looks over and finds a stupid grin plastered on his face. Her eyes then fall on a pair of hands raised in the air, palms facing one another.

‘Tell me when to sto-‘

‘Music! How about some music?’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little less angst and a little more dirty humor is good for the soul. Let me know your thoughts and thanks for reading. As always, I’m happy to speculate with y’all. xx


End file.
